SPANISH

Spanish Subject Pronouns: Guide, Chart, Examples & Exercise

List and chart of Spanish subject pronouns in spanish and english with spanish pronunciation

Spanish Subject Pronouns

Spanish subject pronouns are words that are used to refer to the subjects of the sentence, they are the words I, you, he, she, we, you, they and in Spanish they are Yo, tu, él, ella, nosotros, ustedes, ellos and ellas. They are a type of pronoun and knowing them is necessary to be able to build from the most basic sentences to the most complex ones, therefore, it’s one of the first lessons you have to learn.

This is a complete and comprehensive guide where you will learn everything about spanish subject pronouns.

What is a pronoun in general sense

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun, that means that it replaces a person, animal, or thing. They refer to them without having to name them directly and sometimes, to avoid their repetition. There are several types of pronouns but here we’re studying subject personal pronouns.

Example

  • Subect pronoun: María is smart. –  She is smart. Explanation: Maria is the subject of the sentence and She is the pronoun that replaces Maria. She refers to María.
  • Demonstrative pronoun: Between these shirts–  I prefer these. Explanation: The form these is the pronoun that replaces the noun shirts.

Table of Contents

Chart of the Spanish Subject pronouns

Here are the most common Spanish subject pronouns. Note the pronunciation to help you speak with confidence.

SpanishEnglishPronunciation
YoIYoh
Tú / UstedYoutoo / oo-sted
Él / EllaHe / Sheail / ay-yah
Nosotros (m) / Nosotras (f)Wenoh-soh-trohs / noh-soh-trahs
Ustedes / Vosotros / VosotrasYouoo-sted-ays / boh-soh-trohs / boh-soh-trahs
Ellos (m) / Ellas (f)Theyay-yohs / ay-yahs
ElloIt (No tiene traducción literal directa al español)—

Notes: m is male and f female. Spanish has two words for “you” and “we.” We’ll explore this a bit more below!

Examples or sentences

  • Yo quiero aprender ingles. – I want to learn Spanish.
  • Tú eres muy alto. – You are very tall.
  • Él es un buen vecino. – He is a good neighbour.
  • Ella toma café. – She drinks coffee.
  • Nosotros amamos la comida mexicana. We love Mexican food.
  • Ustedes son locos. – You are crazy.
  • Ellos están enamorados. – They are in love.
  • Es un árbol. – It is a tree.

Gender and number

The key to Spanish subject pronouns lies in understanding how gender and number affect the plural forms.

1. Singular Pronouns: No Gender Change

Yo, Tú/usted (singular), él and ella (I, you, he and she) are singular and their form does not change regardless of the subject’s gender.

Examples:

  • Yo juego video juegos – I play video games.
  • Tú eres hermosa – You are beautiful.
  • Él es buen cocinero – He is a good cook.
  • Ella es maestra – She is a teacher.

2. Plural Pronouns: Gender changes – Nosotros and ellos

The pronouns Nosotros, Ellos, (We, They) are plural and they do change depending on the gender of the subjects, these pronouns follow these rules:

Endings in os are male -os neutral and -as are female.

Subject ponounEnglishRule for Use
NosotrosWe (Masc./Neutral)Use for groups of males only, or groups with both males and females.
NosotrasWe (Feminine)Use only if the group is exclusively female.
EllosThey (Masc./Neutral)Use for groups of males only, or groups with both males and females.
EllasThey (Feminine)Use only if the group is exclusively female.

Examples:

  • Nosotros somos amigos (m; m/f) – We are friends.
  • Nosotras somos amigas (f) – We are friends.
  • Ellos estaban aquí (m; m/f) – They were here.
  • Ellas estaban aquí (f) – They were here.

2. Plural “You”: Regional Differences (Ustedes vs. Vosotros)

The way to address a group of people depends heavily on the region. 

In Latin America, you say “you” in plural just by using Ustedes and that already includes male and female.

In Spain, you can use Vosotros and Vosotras depending on the genders of the persons with whom you’re talking.

Ustedes (Latin America)

Neutral. Used for any group, regardless of gender.

Vosotros, Vosotras (Spain)

  • Vosotros: Masculine / Neutral. Used for male-only or mixed groups.
  • Vosotras: Feminine. Used only for all-female groups.

Examples

Vosotros estabais en Madrid (m – m/f) – You were in Madrid.

Vosotras estabais en Madrid (f) – You were in Madrid.

Tú vs. Usted vs. Vos

In Spanish, there are three main ways to say “you” in the singular. Your choice depends on the social norms of the region you are in and the level of formality required by the situation.

Determining Factors

  1. The kind of relationship you have with the person with whom you’re talking: Casual or formal.
  2. The age differences between the subjects.
  3. The regional variations: Latin American Spanish or Spanish from Spain.

Tú

If it’s a informal/casual relationship such as a friend, relative, or a young person.

Usted

If it’s a formal/respecful relationship, like a boss, someone you don’t know, or someone a lot older.

Vos

Informal/Regional. In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and few regions of Colombia and Venezuela.

Want to learn more? Dive deeper into the difference between formal and informal Spanish. 👉 Click here to learn more about Tú vs. Usted or about voseo

How to use the subject pronouns

  • They usually go at the beginning of the sentence.
  • Spanish subject pronouns are not capitalized unless they start a sentence.
  • In English is mandatory to use it, while in Spanish it’s not.

Ella come ensalada – She eats salad.

Come ensalada – You can not say eats salad, you need to say the pronoun, in this case, it’s she. 

Omission of the pronoun

A key difference from English is that Spanish often allows you to omit the subject pronoun. This is because the verb’s ending already tells you who the subject is. For example, instead of saying “Yo como pizza,” you can simply say “Como pizza” and people will know you mean “I eat pizza.”

Want to learn more about this rule? 👉 Click here for a full guide on omitting subject pronouns

When to use the subject pronouns

  • After Some Prepositions to Emphasize the Subject:

    • ¿Y qué van a hacer ustedes? – What will you do?
    • Ella sí que es talentosa. – She really is talented.

  • After the Verb “Ser” (To Be):

    • Soy yo. – It’s me.

  • To Point Out Someone:

    • ¿Quién quiere comer? Él. – Who wants to eat? Him.

  • For More Clarity or Contrast:

    • Ellas estudiaron, pero ustedes no. – They studied, but you all didn’t.

  • To Compare:

    • Él hace más ejercicio que tú. – He works out more than you do.

  • After Certain Prepositions:

    • Según tú. – According to you.

Summary chart

Spanish subjet pronouns chart gender number usted vosotros, vosotras full guide

Exercises

Here are some simple exercises to help you practice using Spanish subject pronouns.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

Fill in the blank with the correct Spanish subject pronoun.

  1. ____ (I) quiero aprender español.
  2. ____ (He) es un buen vecino.
  3. ____ (We, mixed group) amamos la comida mexicana.
  4. ____ (They, feminine group) están enamoradas.

Exercise 2: Tú vs. Usted

Choose the correct pronoun (tú or usted) for each situation.

  1. Talking to your best friend: ____
  2. Talking to your new boss: ____
  3. Talking to a child: ____
  4. Talking to a stranger who is older than you: ____

Exercise 3: Translate

Translate the following English phrases into Spanish.

  1. You (informal) are very tall.
  2. She drinks coffee.
  3. They (masculine/mixed) are in love.
  4. We (all-female group) love Mexican food.

Answers

Exercise 1

  1. Yo
  2. Él
  3. Nosotros
  4. Ellas

Exercise 2

  1. Tú
  2. Usted
  3. Tú
  4. Usted

Exercise 3

  1. Tú eres muy alto.
  2. Ella toma café.
  3. Ellos están enamorados.
  4. Nosotras amamos la comida mexicana.
[qsm quiz=1]
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